Thursday, December 28, 2006

Back in September, I mentioned a big missed opportunity at the Joy of Saké event. Fortunately, tonight proved to be a redemption for my mishaps, mere 6 weeks after the fact.

Before we get to that, Sakurai-san was leaving for Japan on the 18th, so we called up some of the regulars for an impromptu outing at Saké Hana, a relaxing evening among friends. Flocking to this establishment on 78th Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues were Sakurai-san, his friend, Tim Sullivan, Lefty, Tomo-chan, Ai-san, Min from NY Saké Meetup Group, and of course, Toshi-san taking care of us.

We started the evening by ordering individual drinks while we waited for everyone to arrive (I had "Sato No Homare".) Prior to Mr. Sakurai's arrival, we ordered the Dassai 50 Junmai Ginjo.

The main event of the evening was the unvailing of a new saké just made available in the U.S. market. Since it was so new, Saké Hana did not have it yet (they received their shipment on 12/14!), Toshi gave me a special permission to bring this bottle from the store. The bottle was none other than Tsukasabotan "Tosa No Uchu-shu" Junmai Ginjo, a.k.a. "Space Saké." (SMV: +5, Acidity: 1.4, Rice: Kazé Naru Ko, Seimaibuai: 55%, Yeast: Tosa Space Yeast) from Kochi Prefecture (Tosa is an old name for Kochi.)

The story behind production of this saké is quite fascinating. Checking various sites, there are some varying accounts to the story, adding to the mystery. In short, back in October 2005, some brewers asked Soyuz rocket program to send up yeast for "research purposes" as it was cheaper than "commercial purposes." After the yeast returned, they started making sakés, but their efforts to sell them was thwarted by the Russians who claimed it was clearly not for research purposes, despite much protest from the brewers. As a result, 19 breweries from Kochi banded together, paid the enormous fees for "commercial" license, and had Soyuz send up the yeast in March 2006 for eight night's stay at the space station.

In the process, Space Saké became its own designation with the following guidelines in order to receive a seal of approval from the "Tosa Space Sake Board":* Made of one of the six local yeasts sent to space;* Made 100% from locally grown Gin No Yume or Kaze Naru Ko rice;* Seimaibuai must be at least 55%;* Must be made in Junmai style (no added brewer's alcohol) undergoing long cold fermentation;* And must receive approval from the Tosa Space Saké Board.

So, what was this Space brew like? It was good! The saké was comparably lighter than the typical Tsukasabotan, and this medium-bodied brew had expressive flavors of tropical fruits, robust, with clean and dry finish. One thing I did notice was that I had a very pleasant "high" after drinking it, but that may have been aided by the glass of Blanton's Bourbon (SMV: N/A, Acidity: N/A, Rice: No, mostly corn, Seibaibuai: N/A, Yeast: N/A) I had with Warren for his birthday prior to coming here...

Just to test the difference, Toshi brought out Tsukasabotan Junmai (SMV: +5, Acidity: 1.5, Rice: N/A, Seimaibuai: N/A, Yeast, N/A) in the blue label and Tsukasabotan "Senchu Hassaku" Tokubetsu Junmai (SMV: +8, Acidity: 1.4, Rice: N/A, Seimaibuai: N/A, Yeast: N/A) for an interesting vertical tasting. Not surprisingly, Junmai was the earthiest of the three, with aromas of steamed rice and rich body we're all accustomed to. Senchu Hassaku was very well balanced, with good combination of the earthy grain notes to more accessible fruits with short and dry finish. However, the Space Saké did narrowly edge Senchu Hassaku as my preferred Tsukasabotan of the night.

All in all, considering all the saké dignitaries in the house, it was a star-studded night... in more ways than one!

My friend Masa happens to work for a noble cause, spending some of his time at a not-for-profit organization called NY de Volunteer, who were looking to host a charity fundraising party. About a month prior to the event, Masa asked me to help with a significant part of the evening: Saké Tasting.

For the event, I called upon Sakurai-san from Asahi Shuzo of Dassai label, who gladly accepted being one of the featured selections. Through Sakurai-san, we were also able to get contributions from good people at Nanbu Bijin Brewery. Lastly, I was able to call on Ozeki Saké USA, whom I helped design the back labels couple of months ago. With more help from Rihaku, the final list of saké selections were quite amazing:

Considering that entry fee was $60 for advanced payment for pair of tickets ($30/individual) for essentially all-you-can-drink event with food and fabulous opera singing by one-of-a-kind Ms. Asako Tamura (Japanese blog), this turned out to be a super bargain! As a matter of fact, you can see me enjoying Ms. Tamura's singing in this page.

Speaking of food, there was one interesting twist to the evening. Just for tonight, Choux Factory created a limited release special cream puffs using Dassai 50 Junmai Ginjo Nigori saké and saké kasu (lees). This was a resounding success, where the gentle fruity flavor of the saké was a sublime complement to the rich choux cream.

How were the new sakés? Osakaya Chobei had distinctively nutty, earthy aroma compared with Dassai and Nanbu Bijin, although the palate was fruity. Rihaku "Dreamy Clouds" Nigori was earthier style showing balanced fruit compared with Dassai, but not a big surprise when factoring in the Seimaibuai (59% to 50%) and Rice (Gohyakumangoku to Yamadanishiki). Think of Rihaku as a lighter version of Shirakawago. Rihaku "Wandering Poet" was a medium-bodied Junmai Ginjo, showing well rounded flavors, depth, and clean finish.

To get my money's worth for the evening, you probably can guess that I visited the saké booth on more than one occasion!

Toshi at Saké Hana decided to host a first Late Night Saké Tasting that were to start at 11:00 pm. The event featured 6 sakés from Niigata, known for their outstanding rice. For this event, I met up with Tim Sullivan, Tomo-chan, and Ai-san.

The guest of honor was Mr. Takafumi Aoki of Aoki Shuzo, known for their Kakurei brand. Mr. Aoki was very enthusiastic about his sakés, and graciously answered all the questions Tim and I had over the course of the night.

First, a few words about Aoki Shuzo: Established in 1717 AD, Aoki Shuzo's ideal is to maintain the traditional style of saké. In the days preceding refrigeration technology, lot of the food were cured and richly flavored; thus, the sakés needed to be able to complement rich flavored foods. Aoki Shuzo follows in this tradition.

The first saké I tried was the Kakurei Daiginjo (SMV: +5, Acidity: 1.5, Rice: Yamadanishiki, Seimaibuai: 48%, Yeast: Assoc #14). This was a really ricey style Daiginjo with nose of steamed rice and flavors of steamed rice, mild fruits, and umami. There is a mild gentleness to this saké, and abundance of rice element gives sense that it is indeed leaning towards the traditional method as opposed to the modern light and fruity style.

Kakurei Junmai Ginjo (SMV: +2, Acidity: 1.5; Rice: Miyamanishiki, Seimaibuai: 55%, Yeast: Kakurei) was the next on the list, and it seemed even more traditional than the Daiginjo. The nose was much more subtle, with a hint of the rice. The flavor was lighter and round flavors of rice and grains, with a clean and dry finish. There was more pronounced flavor of umami towards the finish. In the end, this was my favorite saké of the night, as I kept coming back for more.

The Kakurei Trifecta was comlete with the introduction of Plum Saké, made by infusing Japanese plums into the Kakurei Junmai Ginjo. This was an intense version of a plum saké with a long finish and deep acidity, yet still showcased the light mouthfeel unlike the high viscosity common in plum wines.

We went back to drinking Daiginjo on the next selection in Ma No Tsuru Daiginjo (SMV: +5, Acidity: 1.1, Rice: Gohyakumangoku, Seimaibuai: 50%, Yeast: K1701). With Gohyakumangoku rice as a base, the aroma and flavor was only mildly fruity with an underlying earthy notes and creamy expression of rice. The body was delightfully light.

Even though I was fighting a cold (perils of being in retail business during late fall/winter season), I had a great time. Toshi was very accomodating, the brewers were very enthusiastic and informative, I've made few more friends along the way, all the while Niigata sakés flowed deep into the evening...

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Just two days later, I found myself at the Urban Saké Headquarters, participating in a "BYOS" ~ Bring Your Own Saké ~ event. The main idea was to encourage bringing a bottle that can be served chilled and warm. For this event, Nell from Aubirya Kinnosuké, Keiko Sato from World Saké Importers, and Urban Saké friends Chao-I, Brad, July, and Scott were the lucky participants.

Even luckier for us, Tim was making chicken yaki-tori with Nell's help. The menu for the night also included seaweed salad, and fresh shrimp spring rolls. All the dishes were great, even if the spring rolls contained cilantro...

To kick off the event, Tim suggested we have a toast. He unvailed Gassan "Izumo" Junmai Ginjo (SMV: 3.5, Acidity: N/A, Rice: Yamadanishiki, Seimaibuai: 50%, Yeast: N/A) from Shimane Prefecture, a bottle he received from the brewers during the Joy of Saké event. This was a fantastic bottle, featuring fruity melon and tropical fruits flavors followed by harmonizing sweetness and bitterness common in "Junmai" production style, evolving to a clean and dry finish.

By contrast, Chao-I's Junmai Ginjo was riper and fruitier. His contribution was Mutsu Hassen Junmai Ginjo (SMV: +3, Acidity: 1.3, Rice: Miyamanishiki , Seimaibuai: 50%, Yeast: Assoc #10)from Aomori Prefecture , that featured fruity pineapple and lychee on the nose with ripe pineapple and intense strawberries on the palate. The finish was clean and dry with good depth, but the juiciness on the palate combined with the lack of sweet/bitter balance made it seem slightly sweeter.

Nell's contribution was one of those sakés that's destined to be heated, in the form of Matsu No I Tokubetsu Honjōzō (SMV: +5. Acidity: 1.3, Rice: Gohyakumangoku, Seimaibuai: 58%, Yeast: Assoc #10) with a balance of earthy flavors, minerals, and importantly, good depth to maintain the structure of saké even after it was heated. This was served at 104F, as Tim used a digital thermometer to keep track of the temperature.

Next, we moved on to my choice, the Shichi Hon Yari Junmai (SMV: +4, Acidity: 1.5, Rice: Tamazakae, Seimaibuai: 60%, Yeast: N/A)from Shiga Prefecture. Although my general preference for saké is geared toward complex, mildly fruity, and very clean, I adore this earthy-style saké. It is complex and layered, with flavors of steamed rice, mushrooms, nuts, cocoa complemented by lighter body and understated crispness. This is fantastic warmed or chilled, and a bottle I just had to bring.

Brad brought Setsugetsubijin Junmai Ginjo (Data N/A) from Oita Prefecture in Kyushu Island, area famous for Shochu. Interestingly, this turned out to be an earthier style for a Junmai Ginjo, as it featured flavors of steamed rice and light fruits with a very mineral driven finish. Although we didn't warm it, looking back, I feel that this bottle has the requisite characters (depth, minerality) to make it a good candidate to be warmed.

Julie brough Tenranzan "Saké Roman" Junmai Nigori (SMV: +2, Acidity: 1.4, Rice: Miyamanishiki, Seimaibuai: 65%, Yeast: N/A) from Saitama Prefecture, which was a pretty chunky style of Nigori, but with good balance and milder palate than the body would suggest.

The last bottle was from Keiko-san, Kamoizumi "Shusen" Junmai Ginjo (SMV: +1, Acidity: 1.6, Rice: Hiroshima Hattan, Seimaibuai: 58%, Yeast: N/A). Commonly referred to as "Three Dots" based on the Kanji character on the bottle, this saké from Hiroshima is famous for its distinct flavors of mushroom and mildly sweet earthiness, which takes on a totally round flavor when served warm.

Right around this time, Scott showed up with Choux Factory's choux creams, to take a quick break from tasting. Naturally, with Scott now in the fold, it would be extremely rude not to revisit the sakés... a perfect end to a picture perfect evening!

Thursday, December 21, 2006

When it rains, it pours, and sometimes, that's a good thing. Like today, I had two saké events to attend, one where I was a presenter and second where I was an attendee. Not surprisingly, there were lot of pouring to be done.

I was asked by friendly staffs from Daily Candy to help with a sushi and saké event for their clients. With the goal being educating about 25 attendees on sakés, I recommended the following 6 bottles covering different grades and production methods:

Bandai Junmai: From Fukushima. Aged one year in tank, resulting in a slightly oxidized style. Full- bodied with dried fruits and nuts on the nose, followed by dried fruits and hints of soy sauce on the palate. Earthy dishes, red meat. Serve warmed or chilled. (No picture available)

Oni No Shitaburui Honjozo: From Tottori. +12, 1.4. Some fruit, but mostly grain. Medium- bodied, very dry, tastes like saké. Can be served warmed or chilled. (Pic of label, left)

Daishichi Kimoto Honjozo: From Fukushima. +1, 1.4. Made in a labor-intensive Kimoto method to enhance fermentation (=richer flavor.) Mildly fruity nose followed by refreshing notes of mild fruit and grain on the palate. Pair with fish, lighter meats, or well-seasoned vegetables. Best served chilled but can be warmed. (Pic, right)

Sawanotsuru Zuicho Junmai Daiginjo: From Hyogo. +0, 1.7. Richer style of daiginjo. This particular one has a very low fruit in the palate, instead featuring sweetness of the rice. Versatile pairing with food, ideal with appetizers. Serve chilled. (Pic, right)

The event was basic explanation and Q & A between sips of saké and bites of sushi. The attendees were later forwarded the exact notes above, as well as list of resources for further studies. Unfortunately, my lens got stuck after I dropped my camera this morning, so I have no photographical evidence I was there!

It would've been really cool to stick around longer, but I had to attend the inaugural...

7:00 pm~9:00 pm: Akita Saké Connoisseur's Club Tasting Event

I was informed of this event through Yamamoto-san, one of the founders of this Club. The event was held at the World Sake Importers' NY Office. Among the attendees were Chizuko-san from Sakagura and Natsuyo Lipshutz, both co-founders of the club, as well as Keiko and Asami-san from WSI, Henry Sidel from Joto Saké, Tim Sullivan, and Lefty.There were officially 12 sakés on the menu, plus Yamamoto-san opened up one bottle for founders and friends, after most of the attendees left. The list is as follows:

Since I've covered some sakés extensively in the past (such as Yuki No Bosha), here are three sakés that made a big impression on me:

* Tenju "Chōkaisan" Junmai Ginjo (SMV: 0~+2. Acidity: 1.3~1.5, Rice: Miyamanishiki, Seimaibuai: 50%, Yeast: ND-4). With the polishing ratio that qualifies as a Daiginjo, "Chōkaisan" was the best of the new sakés I've tried. Very fruity yet light and elegant, with umami towards the finish, this saké combined elegance with substance.

* Akitabaré "Sui Raku Ten" Daiginjo (SMV: +5, Acidity: 1.3, Rice: Yamadanishiki, Seimaibuai: 45%, Yeast: Assoc #9). Given to me as a gift, this was the bottle that put saké on my radar screen several years ago. Back then, I remembered this saké as being fruity and clean. This time, the impression was bit different, as I noted balanced fruitiness and grain, steamed rice, and umami. Since it was aged for 5 years in a chilled temperature, it displayed the overall roundness.

* The third bottle was the Sasabune Fukuromachi Daiginjo (Data N/A), which was the "13th bottle." This had a very fruity nose with deep flavors of pineapple and melon, and a fantasic clean and dry finish.

The inaugural event was highly attended and successful, and future prospects looks very promising for ASCC.

Thursday, December 07, 2006

On this day, was invited to attend the Mutual Trading Food and Restaurant Show as a member of the trade. I was really looking forward to this, since Mutual Trading carries some of the top-notch saké selections. So what if it meant I start tasting sakés starting around 11 am?! The good thing is, this is technically a "Food and Restaurant" Show, so there's plenty of yummy food to help my cause.

This was a fun event overall. There were great artisinal food ranging from fine nori, red saké vinegar, purple potato vinegar, sea salt, miso, and real wagyu. In addition, there were fine display of kitchenware, plates, and knives. We won't mention the fact that I got bit drunk and carried away, resulting in a purchase of table top personal hibachi and engraved Japanese knife! (It's a real good thing I am not an angry drunk.)

Without further ado, here are the top sakés out of many fine selections (which excludes Dassai, as I wanted to mention other brands.):

Gold Medal: Sudo Honké "Sato No Homaré" ("Pride of the Village") Junmai Ginjo (SMV: +3, Acidity: 1.3, Rice: Yamadaho, Seimaibuai: 50%, Yeast: Sudo). Sudo Honké is the oldest brewery in Japan, having established in 1141, and the current President represents the 55th generation of the founder. With such history, it comes as no surprise that "Sato No Homaré" is less fruity and more traditional style of Junmai Ginjo, as the flavors include subtle yet complex balance of cream, vanilla, grain, spices, amami, and umami (Note: the picture is for Yamadanishiki version; the one I tasted has black label.). Interestingly, their highly touted "Kakunkō" Junmai Daiginjo (SMV: +5, Acidity: 1.3, Rice: Yamadahō, Seimaibuai: 28%, Yeast: Sudo) is a very juicy and fruity style, as it resembles biting into a ripe pineapple with honey and spices drizzed on top. However, what ties the two sakés together is the fact that the flavors tend to intensify on the second sip, a rare trait. These are truly connoisseur's sakés.

Silver Medal: This was a very difficult choice. I decided to go with a saké from Muromachi Shuzo (Japanese-only website) of Okayama, an underrated area that produces great sakés. In a slight edge, I am going with the Muromachi "Jidai" ("Era") Daiginjo (SMV: +5, Acidity: 1.3, Rice: Omachi, Seimaibuai: 40%, Yeast: N/A) over their "Bizen Maboroshi" ("Mirage of Bizen") Junmai Ginjo (SMV: 3, Acidity: 1.6, Rice: Omachi, Seimaibuai: 58%, Yeast: N/A). Both use Omachi rice, which is father strain to the famed Niigata rice Gohyakumangoku, as well as Aiyama and Tamazakae. Omachi gives Muromachi Jidai strong aromatic nose of pineapples, soft and round apporach, palate of ripe pineapples and lychee, with a mildly long finish. By comparison, Bizen Maboroshi was lighter and focused on thje palate, but I liked the umami-laden long finish better.

Bronze Medal: To give you the idea of the quality of the competition, the legendary Born "Yumé Wa Masayumé" Junmai Daiginjo (SMV: +4, Acidity: 1.5, Rice: Yamadanishiki, Seimaibuai: 35%, Yeast: Kato #9) took Bronze here. This is their top offering, an aged Junmai Daiginjo stored at -8C (18F) for 5 years before the release. With the chilled aging, it helped retain clarity of the saké, and effect of aging was evident in the very smooth, round, and light mouthfeel. In addition, the passage of time did not thin out the aroma and palate, as I would consider it aromatic and fruity.

I have to say that I am very impressed with the quality of Mutual Trading's portfolio. There were many fantastic sakés that could placed within top 3, and it should be known that the final determination was significantly biased by my own palate. I'd advise you to try some of these sakés for your self, and see how they stack up!